cabinet on/off button

[Flinkly]

like always, i've searched and come up dry for this topic, but i've heard alot of people discussing the topic of a button to turn your whole cab on with a single switch.  I guess i'm wondering for a more in depth topic of how to hack a power strip to turn everything on in the cab when you turn on the computer...is it just simply to connect the power strips on/off button wires to the computer on/off button?  i guess i just want to be better safe than sorry, since my cab is relatively expensive...

[dmish82]

http://www.bitsltd.net/smartstrip/buy.htm

I just ordered one of these(LCG1). With the LCG1/2 if you have a computer in the main outlet and it powers on, it turns the other devices plugged into the other outlets on. If your computer turns off, it turns the rest of the devices off. The LCG3/4 are supposed to work where any device can be plugged into the main outlet to power on/off the rest of the devices(i.e. a tv could be plugged into outlet one and turn on/off the rest).

[dmish82]

forgot to mention they are running free shipping right now too.

[clanggedin]

I have a smartstrip thatwill turn everything on once the "hot" item is turned on, which in this case is my computer. I have also wired the on/off button for my computer to a button on the bottom of my cp. There are numerous other threads concerning this. Do a search and see what you find

[Hoagie_one]

i built this

http://home.bendcable.com/werstlein/

[RayB]

Hoagie that seems like overkill. What's your cost tally on all that compared to a smartstrip?

[Hoagie_one]

Relay = $8
outlet+casing = $1.5
Wire\molex splitter = $2

[Popcorrin]

I've used the same thing as Hoagie and it works great.  You might want to add in the cost of powerstrip also.

[crashwg]

http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/electronic/6ee4/

[Bgnome]

Relay = $8
outlet+casing = $1.5
Wire\molex splitter = $2

thats not much of a price difference from the mini power minder..
i like my craftsman automatic power switch because it doesnt require any molex or usb connectors and its ~$10 cheaper than a smartstrip.

[Jkawch]

I used a Vanguard 400W Zion Power Supply for my computer. This option is a little pricey, but its a GREAT ps, comes with the AC outlet that only powers on once the computer is switched on, and has extra long molex connectors. Its like its made for the cab building purpose.

On a side note...does anyone know of a good place to find "neat" switches or Power on/off buttons?? Hopefully something like a computer power button (where its just a one press clicker) and it would be nice if it illuminates or something.

JKawch

[Chris]

I installed a relay like Hoagie's directly into a powerstrip, but at the time the SmartStrips hadn't come out yet.  I had the powerstrip already, and I salvaged the PC cord receptacle for the cabinet from a dead power supply, so all I had to pay for was the relay and its socket.  If I were doing it today and didn't already have a powerstrip, I'd probably use a SmartStrip.  That Power Minder looks great, though... might be an even better solution.

--Chris

[Hoagie_one]

Relay = $8
outlet+casing = $1.5
Wire\molex splitter = $2

thats not much of a price difference from the mini power minder..
i like my craftsman automatic power switch because it doesnt require any molex or usb connectors and its ~$10 cheaper than a smartstrip.

Mini power minder wasnt available at the time, The craftsman one requires an extension cord and the smart strips are $30.

I've used the same thing as Hoagie and it works great.  You might want to add in the cost of powerstrip also.

Didnt need a power strip on this application, just used a spliter on the inside of the bartop cab

[dmish82]

the powerminder looks a lot less expensive($15.99 VS $29.99 for the smartstrip) but the powerminder's cheapsest shipping option is $6, while the smartstrips are running free shipping, making the price $22 VS $30 now. So now if you are connecting more than one extra device along w/ your computer, you'll need another power strip ($5-10). So if you have an extra powerstrip handy then the powerminder can save you $8, otherwise you can get an all in one solution by buying the smartstrip and have once piece instead of two.

[Hoagie_one]

to be honest, i dont like the idea of the smartstrip deciding when to turn my power on.  the Relay design always works if your pc powers up, same as the one from Think geek.  Just apeals to me more.

[Chris]

to be honest, i dont like the idea of the smartstrip deciding when to turn my power on.  the Relay design always works if your pc powers up, same as the one from Think geek.  Just apeals to me more.

Plus, there's the BYO appeal...

[Hoagie_one]

to be honest, i dont like the idea of the smartstrip deciding when to turn my power on.  the Relay design always works if your pc powers up, same as the one from Think geek.  Just apeals to me more.

Plus, there's the BYO appeal...

Word

[dmish82]

to be honest, i dont like the idea of the smartstrip deciding when to turn my power on.  the Relay design always works if your pc powers up, same as the one from Think geek.  Just apeals to me more.

I'm not quite clear what you mean by the smartstrip deciding "when to turn the power on". If I am reading about this strip correctly, the power turns on to the devices when you turn the computer on, they turn off when the computer turns off. The relay method provides a delay correct? Not quite sure on this.

[Hoagie_one]

with the smartstrip, it decides if there is enough current traveling through the switch outlet to then turn on the other outlets.  And 99% of the time or more it works.  I have heard that there can be issues with sesitivity and whatnot.

With the relay method, it always works and no delay.

[dmish82]

Now it makes sense. Thanks.

[Sylentwulf]

Odd, I've never had my smartstrip not turn on immediately. Once in a great while it won't shut OFF for 3-4 seconds after the computer shuts down, but that's it.

I say for $30, the heavy duty, guaranteed workability AND SURGE PROTECTION (which a lot of people seem to be overlooking) is a pretty decent deal. Yeah, it's a little expensive though.

[danny_galaga]

there was quite a discussion on this here:

http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=19304;start=0

i used a relay and nothing else. all power is turned on by the main switch (in my case the wall, i didnt bother putting one on the cab) and the relay allows the soft-on button to do its thing. it turns out there was a bit of luck involved as peale tried a similar thing and it didnt go. he ended up using a capacitor for the soft on

[Hoagie_one]

Odd, I've never had my smartstrip not turn on immediately. Once in a great while it won't shut OFF for 3-4 seconds after the computer shuts down, but that's it.

I say for $30, the heavy duty, guaranteed workability AND SURGE PROTECTION (which a lot of people seem to be overlooking) is a pretty decent deal. Yeah, it's a little expensive though.

If you want an in-line fuse add another buck or two.

[dtu]

I just saw this while looking for something else thought some of you might be interested.

http://www.siliconchip.com.au/cms/A_101665/article.html

[DYNAGOD]

---steaming pile of meadow muffin---!
i just bought a
 
2225 Joules 10 outlet Smart Strip       34.95
Brownout Protector                          
Power Cord: 6 ft White Power Cord

The power cord is WHITE!!
i thought they switched to black for BYOAC?

update:
called them up, they fixed my order!
yay, no ugly white cord!!  

[Will]

I could have swore that I saw a thread on this a while back where someone had purchased a premade button with cable that attaches to the mobo.Does anyone remember this or no of such product?

[Fuzzguitar]

I simply have a normal powerboard (in black which looks nicer than white) inside my cab that the PC, monitor and speakers are plugged into. A single black lead trails out and is connected to the wall switch which is always off unless I plan to use the cab.

The monitor and speakers are permanently switched on and I've replaced the PC power switch with an arcade pushbutton mounted on the top back of my cab.

So when I want to use the cab I switch on the wall switch (turns on monitor and speakers) and then push the power button on back of cab (which boots the pc).

This seems like the perfect solution for me.

[gap]

I'm using a 700-ish mhz Dell tower with a front-mounted momentary contact power switch.  There's a ribbon cable, 20-conductor or so, leading from the motherboard to a small circuit board mounted in the front case of the computer.

This little circuit board has a few LEDs (power, hard drive access) and two switches (power, reset).

I used a multimeter to figure out which pins on the motherboard are connected to the power switch.  Then unplugged the ribbon cable and plugged in a two-pin connector to those two pins on the motherboard.

I drilled a small hole in the case and extended these wires to a Happ pushbutton on the top of my case.

The PC is plugged into a BITS smartstrip, so when the top-mounted button is pressed, everything comes on.

[vincemash]

Is the LCG1 adequate if you are using a computer as the main device

Or do you need the LCG3?

[gap]

Is the LCG1 adequate if you are using a computer as the main device

Or do you need the LCG3?

I dunno, sorry.  To be safe, I went ahead and spent the extra three bucks and got the LCG3.